Body exercising apparatus



A ril 18, 1933. E. A. BRUDER 1,904,039

BODY EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27,1930 2 Sheets-Shet 1 2 1 5 INVENTOR .1. 1171/4 A. BRUDER ATTORNEY April 18, 1933. t E. A. BRUDER BODY EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmzw mmmwmm VAVAVAVAWAMVAVAVAVAW am my" lNVENTOR LEM. A BRUDER ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1933 man. A. anemia, or LOSAN'GELES, CALIFORNIA,

, BODY nxnn'orsnve ArrAnArUs Application filed October 27, 1930. Serial No. 491,355.

My invention relates to means or apparatus for exercising the human body.

The objects of this invention are: first, to

provide nieans or apparatus of this class upon 5 which the person using the same may lie or recline in a relaxed manner while manipulating or exercising the various limbs or portions of the body; second, to provide an apparatus of this class a. portion of which is shaped to conform substantially to the longitudinal curvature of the back ofthe person using the apparatus so that when the person is lying on the same substantially all unnecessary strain upon the spine is avoided during the manipulation or exercising of the limbs or other portions of the body, thus permitting to a great extent the vertebrae of the spine naturally to adjust themselves relativeto each other and adjacent ribs, nerves,and other portions of 29 the back as a result of and during simple exercising bythe person himself, thus easily,

quickly, naturally and painlessly'ma-king adjustments of the spine and thereby correct-,

ing many of the physical or physiological disorders accredited to. distorted or disordered spines or displaced vertebrae'thereofi-third, to provide apparatus of this class whereby the back and spinemay be periodically relaxed for the purposes above mentioned and in turn 3P subjected to exercise which produces a natural and corrective strain on the back after the adjusting action upon the spine; fourth, to provide apparatus of this class having supporting means conformable substantially to 3 the longitudinal curvature of the back of the user and having a yieldablesurface upon which the person may lie, such yieldable surface conforming to, yielding. to and adapted to receive the boney structure of P the back so that the person lyingthereo'n may easily 'relax'without; undue pressure against any vertebrae, rib, or other portion of the back, but yet produces suflicient pressure on the distorted, disordered or displaced-portion to make corrective adjustments; fifth, to

provide yieldable pads or other yieldable surfaces for apparatus of this class having yieldable upwardly extending projections which will cause slight pressure on some parts W and a drawing or suction effect upon others,

the lattercausing outward drawing and natural placement of vertebrae; sixth, to provide an apparatus of this class havinga plurality of different pads of difierently. arranged pro- 7 jections or elements for producing difi-erent eflects upon the back during the exercising of the body, which pads may be separately i placed upon a back conforming table or supporting means as desired for securing the different results as and when desired; and; seventh, to provide as a whole a novelly constructed body exercising apparatus and one which is very simple and economical of construction, durable which may be easily I j used without material instruction, which may be easily changed to suit different conditions, and one which will not readily deteriorate or 'get outjof order. r

WVith the above and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a bodyv exercising apparatus having certain novelfeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partsand portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference there on which form apart of my application in which: i o a Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my body exercising apparatus in one form, showing by dotted'lines the body of the exerciser. in Various positions; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View thereoftaken through 2-2 of. Fig. 3, showing the legs of the exer- I cise'r. in various exercising positions; Fig. 3 3, is a perspective view thereof, showing one form of yieldable pad thereon; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional 3 view thereof taken through 44 of Fig; 2; Figs 5 and 6 are other transverse sectional views showing, respectively, concave and convex transverse curvature; Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top View of a different form of yieldable pad, and showing by dotted linesv the approximate relation of certain projections thereof to the vertabrae of the, spine of the user; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View thereof, taken through 88 of Fig. 7 Fig.

9 is a fragmentary top View of another form of pad for my exercising apparatus; Fig. 10

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawings.

The body exercising apparatus ill tr t d in the drawings consists primarily of a supporting means A, a head rest B, and a foot rest C, all of which are supported in alignment on any other suitable support, such as a table or the floor.

The supporting means A, consists of a base, conforming in shape to the longitudinal curvature of the posterior portion of the human body, and a yieldable upper'surface for such base. The base is preferably molded from a plastic substance 1, such as plaster of Paris, in a suitable box or receptacle 2,

which may be made of sheet metal. The box 2 is a long relatively flat receptacle which forms preferably a permanent and enclosing part of the base or supporting means. The upper surface of the molded supporting member, including the upper surface of the yieldable'pad 3 placed on the latter, as will be described hereinafter, is uneven, being provided with transverse waves which conform in shape to the longitudinal curvature of the posterior portion of the body ofthe person using the apparatus. The first transverse depression or trough, designated 1a, of the member 1,, is adapted to receive the shoulders of the user; the next trough 1b is adapted to receive the buttocks of the user, and the next slight depressions or troughs 1c and 1d are adapted to receive, respectively, the thighs and calves of the legs. The crest 16 between the troughs 1a and 1?) extends into the hollow portion of the back; and the crest 1; extends into the slight depression between the buttocks and the thighs. From the trough lathe member 1 is raised toward the end, but is provided at its middle portion, that is, intermediate the lateral sides of the member 1, with anopening or depression 1; through which the neck ofthe user extends. From the raised portion 1h, near the head end of the supporting member, to the crest 1f, is'provided a shallow/[depression 111 which is of a depth equivalent to the thickness of the pad 8 and is adapted to receive the pad and retain the samethereinwith its upper supporting surface substantially flush with the upper surface of the member 1. The pad 3, which is loosely positioned within the recess, may be easily removed and replaced by others as and when desired.

The transverse section of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, may vary, depending upon the back structure of the user of the apparatus. In Fig. 4 the upper surface of the transverse section is horizontal and straight, while that shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is concave and convex, respectively.

The pads 3, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and also the pads shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10, are made of yieldable material, and preferably of rubber. Each consists preferably of a sheet rubber backing 3a which extends over the whole of the depression 12', and is proin the member 1, is intended to affect primarily the cervicalandlumbar vertebrae'and is intended to be used for longitudinal stretching and'lateral rolling of the user of the PParatus. V i 1 The pad, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, is provided with a number of different kinds of upwardly extending projections. These projections consist of a single central row of spaced vacuum cups 5, a. row of rounded buttons at the opposite sides of the vacuum cups, rows of longitudinally extending short ridges 7 between the aforementioned rows, short transverse ridges 8 between the adjacent buttons and substantially joined to the longitudinal ridges 7, and with a plurality of closely positioned pyramidal projections 9 between the rows of buttons and the lateral edges of the pad. This pad is intended to be itu used primarily upon the dorsal vertebrae and for the purpose of adjustment of the vertebrae and the nerves in association therewith. The vacuum cups 5 are spaced apart approximately the distance between adjacent vertebrae,

at leastsuch distance that adjacent verte- M cured'to' the vertebrae and normally tend to force the same inwardly. The adjacent ridges 7 and 8 produce inward pressure to corresponding parts of the back. The pyramidal shaped projections 9 support the back only at intervals permitting the ribs and nerves to extend between or to be supported only intermittently by the projections.

The pad, shown in Fig. 9, is provided with three adjacent rows of vacuum cups 5 and to either side of these rows to the lateral edges of the pad with diagonal ridges 10 which extend bac'kwardly substantially at the angle of the lumbar nerves extending outwardly from the vertebrae. These nerves are intended to be positioned between adjacent ridges so that the same are not pressed by such ridges. This pad, although extending over the whole of the depression of the supporting means, is intended to affect mainly the dorsal vertebrae and to keep such vertebrae straight while exercising.

The pad, shown in Figs. 10 and 11, is provided with substantially transverseridges which are Wavey. These ridges are relatively narrow andare closely positioned. This 1 pad is intended primarily to act upon the portion of the back from the upper cervical vertebrae to the sacral vertebrae and is primarily for massaging the back.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and certain modifications thereof, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement nor to the modifications, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions of the exercising apparatus substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a body exercising apparatus of the class described, a substantially horizontal and substantially rigid supporting means conforming in shape at its upper surface substantially to the longitudinal curvature of the back of the user, and a relatively thin yieldable and resilient rubber pad removably 40 positioned over the curved portion of the supporting means, said pad having spaced apart and upwardly extending yieldable projections.

2. In a body exercising apparatus, a sta- 4 tionary, substantially horizontal supporting means provided with a rigid upper surface s with longitudinal waves conforming substantially to the longitudinal curvature of substantially the whole body of the user including the legs, and a resilient pad covering that portion of said upper surface including the curvature of the vertebrae of the body only, said pad provided with upwardly extending yieldable projections.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Detroit, Michigan, this 4th day of October, 1930. V

EMIL A. BRUIDER. 

